On Loan
by StudyInViolet
Summary: For the Artina Ficathon.  Artie and Tina babysit Rachel's daughter for a day.


A/N: For the Artina ficathon.

The prompt: A future-fic (probably when they're in their mid-30s) where Artie and Tina are asked by Rachel to babysit her very rambunctious child for a day. The father can be anybody, Puck, Finn, or even Jesse.

* * *

On Loan

"Are you okay?"

Tina jerked at the start at the hand on her elbow.

Artie looked up at her hopefully, still somewhat in a good mood despite the several large bag he was carrying in his chair.

"I'm fine," Tina said absently smoothing back her hair, the lone blue streak standing out. "We got one more place to go and Kurt was specific about the table cloths he wanted."

Still chattering about the difference between eggshell and cream, Artie couldn't help but muse over the heartbroken expression he saw on her face at the sight of the baby store.

She wasn't okay.

* * *

"Just adopt a puppy, Wheels," Mercedes said over lunch, "studies show that people place the same amount of affection towards an animal like they do a child," she took a bite making a small sound of approval as she chewed, "sometimes even more."

"I thought about it," Artie replied. He frowned down at his BLT sandwich, not able to summon up an appetite. "I'm not sure I want animal around, my cousin's dog chewed on my wheels once."

"Train it then," Mercedes said offhandedly. She dabbed her mouth, and her tone became gentler, "Or you could adopt."

"We talked about that," Artie admitted, "but she's against until we know for sure. But it's just not the same. We used to talk about having twins to dress them in "Ctrl+C" and "Ctrl+V" shirts and other ridiculous outfits, now she can't even go pass a store." Artie sunk down in his chair,

"We both knew it would be difficult, but I feel like I'm failing her."

Mercedes nodded, patting his hand "You'll figure out something, you both usually do," she perked up a bit as she changed the subject. "And anyway, it's not often I am treated to a meal, I'm surprised the whole gang hasn't done it since we're all in town."

"Kurt getting married," Artie said with laugh, "who would have thought?"

"And that devious little bastard was trying to keep it from me. I should have known something was up when he was wearing that sweatshirt. I mean Kurt wearing sweatshirts?"

Artie shrugged not knowing what to say, as Mercedes added, "But it seems the surprise was enough to bring everyone in. I ran into Matt the other day, I thought I saw a very fierce Latina stopping a blond from jumping into a fountain."

"Mike's in town said he skipped out on a tour to make it. Puck and Quinn are here with their kids."

"You still call him Puck?" Mercedes said.

"Can you think of him as Noah?"

Mercedes laughed, "No I can't."

"Oh," Artie added, "and Tina's having lunch with Rachel."

"Which is why you were able to sneak off to have lunch with another woman."

"They didn't try to convince me to stay. Rachel's going over the last of the wedding plans."

Mercedes made the same face Artie did when he found out.

"I'm waiting for an SOS call," Artie said holding up his phone, "but so far it's quiet."

Mercedes smirked. "That's a bad thing?"

"We don't want Kurt to lose his wedding planner days before the wedding."

They spent the rest of the hour catching up, talking about the wedding, talking about Mercedes work as what she termed a life coach, and how he was doing architecture.

As he drew the building he was designing out for Mercedes, a muffled giggle alerted his attention upwards.

Curious at the expression on his friend's face, Artie turned around to see not just Tina, but a little guest with her.

The little girl scowled up at Artie, "My name is Julie Christine Hudson, who are you?"

* * *

When asked to take Rachel's daughter in for the afternoon, Tina had braced herself to be regaled with Broadway standards, on the drive home and most of the afternoon, but instead the little girl jumped around in the back giggling as she made the wheels on Artie's chair light up as she spun them around.

She was further intrigued as they went inside the apartment, when she looked around at the apartment specially customized to deal with the chair and it's exclaimed. "It's all my size! I can see over the table!"

A grin crossed Artie's face as Tina watched him roll up to Julie Christine giving her a tour of the layout, while Tina went to take stock on what they had to occupy a little girl.

They babysat other children, mostly Artie's older sister's kids, but they were much older than five and more easily amused. What Tina came up with was a few half colored coloring books and broken crayons. But as she was putting them back she heard Artie's voice from across the room.

"And this is the kitchen, which has more food you can't eat in fear of your mother getting mad at us." Artie rolled into the main room with Julie Christine sitting on his lap, finish his tour, "and here we are."

"Crayons!" The little girl jump off to busy herself with the book.

"I thought that book was filled up," Artie said Tina sat down on the couch across from him.

"You're hoping to catch a break?"

"A bit," Artie said, "how long do we have her?"

"Rachel said she and Kurt needed to have a long talk about the flowers," Tina smiled at Artie's stricken face, "probably until a bit late. Finn's throwing a bachelor party for Jack."

"And I wasn't invited?"

Tina looked away coyly, "you may have not had gotten the invitation."

As Artie reached to throw a couch pillow at her she was saved by Julie Christine running up to him, shoving the comic book in his face. "What is it?" he asked taking it from her.

Julie Christine leaned against the armrest, "guess?"

"A puppy?"

"No."

"A cat?"

"No."

"Horse. Hippo. Bear."

"Zebra," Tina guessed, and was awarded with giggles from Julie Christine.

"It's a unicorn," Julie Christine said. Taking the book she skipped over to Tina holding it to her face as well. Staring at the scribbles of some four legged beast, Tina just smiled and agreed that was indeed a mythical beast.

They played the game a bit more, but it eventually devolved into Tina chasing Julie Christine around the room, when Artie went to fix dinner. He poked his head out the first time at the noise, but went back to the kitchen.

After dinner, and after finding that none of their movies were particularly child appropriate, Tina started teaching Julie Christine old clapping games when Artie pulled out his guitar. Instead of her opening her mouth to sing as was expected of child of Rachel and Finn, Julie Christine jumped next to him and started asking about the different strings and notes.

Tina just looked on watching the two as Artie guided the child's fingers on the strings.

She had doubts when she heard that her friends were going to adopt, knowing from her mother the pain of being an adoptee, particularly when it was obvious from the skin tone you weren't related by blood. But she was starting to think she had forgotten that while being related by blood was ideal a child was child no matter who biological parents they were.

* * *

That night, Artie was turning to the next chapter in his book when movement to his left caught him surprise.

"Is the light bothering you?" he asked, the lump that was Tina shook its head.

"I'm fine."

Smiling to himself, Artie placed the book face down on the nightstand. Without asking, Tina moved over her assuming her favorite position with her head on chest.

"It was nice today." Artie said resting his head on top on her head, "having Rachel's kid over."

"Julie Christine," Tina said intertwining her fingers with Artie's. "She's quite a powerhouse isn't she?"

"Totally different than her mom."

"So you didn't mind?"

Artie couldn't see her expression, but he didn't hear guilt in her voice. "Don't tell me you asked Rachel for loan?"

Tina squirmed a bit, "You don't rent out kids like library books, Artie."

"Well, Tina," Artie said adopting the same tone, "it was kinda of like that."

"Anyway," Tina said brightly, "having her around made me think, I like the name Abby."

"I have an annoying cousin name Abby. How about-"

"Not Luke and Leia again, we're not having twins! And if we do we're not naming them that!"

"I was going to say Felicia. But how about Elizabeth, we can call her Buffy for short."

Tina rolled off him, laughing, "You're such a nerd!"

"You know you love it."

"I do."

Artie turned slightly so they faced each, and for a minute he stared appreciably at the soft smile on her face.

"What about boys' names?" Tina asked.

"Flynn."

Tina elbowed him before turning over. "I'm done with you, Mr. Abrams. Good night."

"Good night to you too, Mrs. Abrams."

* * *

The wedding was beautiful. Finn managed to keep Kurt from murdering Rachel, and Jack was a stand up guy, cracking jokes about how they though they wouldn't making through the wedding rehearsal since there was last minute change in who was signing.

"I would have been an epic fight," Jack said as he stopped at Artie and Tina's end of the table, while Kurt danced a bit with Mercedes. He was uncomfortably tucked into a suit, matching down to the cuff links with Kurt. Given the fact he wore his shirts untucked and his last hair cut was three months ago, he played no role in the decorations and planning other than insisting that there will be a significant lack of exotic bird feathers.

Artie approved of him considering that he played a mean hand of poker, and with their combined forces they made the combination of Puck, Matt, Mike and Santana go broke the night before.

"But Mercedes pulled rank, and told Rachel she can sing at her wedding and funeral if she liked."

"Wow, booked in advance." Artie quipped, while Tina batted him slightly in the arm.

"I did hear a rumor," Jack added his eyes twinkling, "that Kurt wanted you two to duet. What was he said," Jack placed his glass of wine on the table, rubbing his chin in thought. "'I never meet two people our age who I thought belonged together." "

"He said that?" Tina said softly.

"Well he did preface it with clashing fashion tastes and questionable life choices," Jack added with a grin as Tina wrinkled her nose at him.

"That's sounds like Kurt," Artie said.

"And speaking of him," Jack said turning around, "my groom is waiting for me. Oh," he looked at the wine on the table, "which one is yours?"

"Neither," Tina said, "I'm not partaking."

Jack smirked lifting an eyebrow, "is a little Abrams along the way?"

Artie looked fearfully at Tina. Jack meant well, but unlike their closer friends he hadn't heard about their issues. But Tina just smiled at him, winking at their bemused friend.

"We're not naming him after you."

"It wouldn't hurt to ask," Jack said with a smile, as he took his glass. "Cheers."

He disappeared leaving Artie with a few questions of his own.

As if she could his mind, and quite often Artie truly thought she could, Tina smiled leaning forward.

"He's right you know, it's about time a little one should be along the way." Her hand crept down unlocking his wheels, "and you know what they say practice makes perfect."

* * *

Not long after Kurt's third dance with his new husband, followed by a few rounds with Brittany. Kurt looked around to take his other close female friend for a spin around the dance floor. But found her missing, as well as her husband.

Rachel tapped him on the shoulder. "You were right," she admitted, her expression much lighter than other times when she uttered the same words. "Letting them babysit was the perfect idea."

"Of course it was."


End file.
